


Forgotten Embrace

by Lachesissora



Series: DMC Gen week [2]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, DMC Gen Week, Dante is a mess, Gen, Lady just wanna help, Platonic Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 00:17:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20023399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lachesissora/pseuds/Lachesissora
Summary: Sometimes, all Dante need is a hugDay 2 of DMC Gen Week - Hug





	Forgotten Embrace

**Author's Note:**

> Set after the events in the anime and before DMC2.
> 
> We all know DMC2 Dante was depressed as hell

Dante stared at the empty dessert glass. There were a small traces of the ice cream that he had just indulged in. _Ah strawberry sundaes_ , his all-time favourite. Nothing can beat the taste of the sweet and sourness of the strawberry with a dose of vanilla ice cream. Heavenly. But even so, the divine taste of the delicacy wasn’t able to soothe the pain he felt in his chest. He should had opted for a beer instead of the dessert, but it’s Lady’s treat and he couldn’t choose unless he wanted another tab in his account- which he begrudgingly didn’t want to add it up anymore. It hurts his pride.

Lady silently monitored Dante from her stool as she ate her chocolate sundae. Ever since they had sent Patty off with her mother, Dante had been down. No, it was way before that. _Mallet Island_. Yes, the mission at Mallet Island. Since he came back from that cursed island, Dante hadn’t being his normal cheerful self. Sure he cracked jokes here and there but Lady couldn’t helped it but felt that something was missing. Not to mention, he came back with a blonde devil that look exactly like his mom! But no, it wasn’t Trish that caused Dante to become off like _this_. No. It’s because of something else and Lady knew damn well _what_ and _who_.

“Are you going to stare at it till it explode or something, Dante?” She asked, eyes assessing the expression on Dante’s face. He looked like he was caught reminiscing something.

Dante groaned and forced a smile “Sure am. Gonna see if I got any psychic power that will come in handy.”

“Please. If you have any, I would have seen it in action years ago.” She scoffed and she saw Dante went back to his brooding. That’s it. She’s tired seeing her friend like this. “You’re being awfully moody ever since Patty left, what’s the deal?”

Dante gave out a dry laugh and turned his cold gaze to Lady “And why do you think that?”

Urgh, he didn’t even bother to give his usual dodgy response like he used to.

“Don’t know. You ate your ice cream without your usual smirk. You hardly throw any jokes back. And-“ she pointed a finger at Dante “- your eyes are empty. Lifeless.”

Dante laughed. He was taken aback by Lady’s sharp observation. Lady remained at her sit, arm crossed and waited until Dante laugh subside.

“Damn, Lady. There’s no escaping you” He played with the spoon and sighed. His solemn expression returned “I don’t want to talk about it”

If it any other day, Lady would have dropped the subject and changed the topic to something else. But today she wasn’t having it. Dante might be a stubborn devil, but she was equally as stubborn as him too.

“Hell no! It’s not just today. You’ve been moody since last year. I’ve given you enough space for you to deal whatever fuck shit you’re dealing with. But it’s been far too long and you’re destroying yourself.”

At Lady’s last words, Dante stood from where he seated. Eyes throwing daggers at Lady. To any other people, they would have cower in fears and back off but not to Lady. Those stares mean nothing to her. She’s not afraid of those blue eyes and instead shot him a glare.

“Drop it.” Dante’s tone was lace with threat.

“Is that a threat” Lady’s cocked an eyebrow.

Dante was fumed with anger. He didn’t show it but Lady could sense it. He gripped tightened and he inhaled his breath slowly. Trying to calm himself. His stares to Lady remained and she held hers as well. Neither of them intent to back down. Lady was determined to get the bottom of this and Dante didn’t want her to probe further. It’s his battle and he didn’t want her help.

The silent battle went on for what was like an eternity before Dante broke the gaze a moment later.

“I’m outta here. Thanks for the treat, Lady” And he walked out the diner quickly, leaving no room for Lady to protest.

He just had to make it difficult. She should had expected it in the first place. 

* * *

Dante’s chest felt constricted. He found it hard to breathe all of the sudden. The office felt so tiny and he was suffocating siting there on his desk. He tried to move to his bedroom upstairs, but damn it, it just made things turned to worse. He tried to sleep but his mind refused to shut down. He closed his eyes, and the image of Nelo Angelo stumbled in defeat and disappear to nothing came to life. He remembered the pain expression of Nelo Angelo when he gave the killing blow, and the amulet that dropped from him; Vergil’s amulet… He shot his eyes opened to rid the image away, but the pain will always be there. It will always be there haunting him, taunting him.

That he was the one that kill what’s left of his family.

He killed Vergil.

Which was why he found himself on top of the Devil May Cry’s roof, watching the stars that were surprisingly brighter than any other day itself. He tried to make sense of the shaped of the stars. He did read a book about stars and constellation when he was a child but he could never fathom any of it back then. But Patty knew a thing or two about those. She was engrossed with those horoscope thingy. Always updated him on his horoscope prediction of the day. He didn’t bother with any of said predictions anyway- it was all a scam. But Patty didn’t care what he thought and she still continued to read those things. Maybe when she grew older, she would knew how stupid those prediction was but that’s for another story. But her obsession with the horoscope also came together with a little bit knowledge of the stars. Once, she pointed out to Dante that the stars were shape like a Sagittarius. He didn’t remember what shape it was but he did remember the smile on Patty’s face, all bright and blinding. Yeah she annoyed him with her nagging and such, but damn he missed the kid. She reminded him so much when he was young, watching the stars in his childish awe with his father and mother by his side, Vergil laying next to him.

Seeing Patty finally be reunited with her Mother left a pang somewhere in his heart. He couldn’t helped it but to see his own mother and Vergil, embracing one another and then extended their arm for Dante to reach. He wanted to reach out for their hands. He wanted to grab it and got caught in their embrace. He wanted to feel the warmth of his mother as she rub soothingly behind his back and he snuggled closely to her neck, finding shelter, feeling safe. He wanted it so bad. He missed them. But Dante knew it was all an illusion. He blinked back again, and the image reverted back to Patty and her mother, hugging one another. And he had to bite down the lump that was accumulating in his throat.

“Wow, this is the first time I see so many stars in the city!” Lady whistled, stopping few feet away from Dante.

“What d’ya want, Lady” Dante went straight to the point, voice tired. He just wanted it all to end.

Lady walked a step closer, eyes still looking at the stars before it fell back to Dante. “I come here to apologise.”

Dante stared back at Lady, brows furrowed as he couldn’t grasped at what Lady said. Lady taking this as a cue to continued “I just want to say I’m sorry for what I said at the Diner just now. It’s intrusive of me to do that.”

“You? Feeling sorry?” Dante eyes snapped to Lady’s direction, “Who are you and what you have done to Lady?”

Lady chuckled and sat herself down next to Dante. She breathe the air and said, “I’m serious, Dante. I’m sorry. I should have not push you.” Lady explained. Regret clearly visible in her voice. Dante remained staring at the night sky, trying to forget what had occurred in the diner.

“Don’t sweat it.” Was all he could muster to say. It wasn’t Lady’s fault. He knew she meant well and she was just worried for her friend. But he wasn’t ready to talk about it and hell, he didn’t want to go _there_.

The two hunters sat watching the stars in silence. The night breeze past through them but neither of them were bothered with the cold. Dante tried again to make sense of the shape of the stars but his mind was in a mess that he just gave up the idea.

“Do you want a hug?” Lady swore she could hear Dante’s neck snapped when he turned his head to face Lady

“WHAT!?” Dante’s expression was incredulous and Lady had to control the urge to laugh so hard.

“What? You look as if you needed a hug. What’s wrong in offering one?” Lady said casually. Dante had to blink his eyes several times trying to digest what he had heard. It wasn't because the idea of a hug that surprised him. No. He and Lady had hugged several times before in their 10 years of friendship. So no, that wasn’t the case. But hearing her made an offer for it when they usually just do it felt more like a _trap_.

“Again, who are you and what have you done to Lady?” Dante backed away in a dramatic fashion and Lady bursted out laughing. “This isn’t a trick, right? You won’t charge me for a hug, right?”

“Gosh Dante. Don’t make me take back my offer.”

“No hidden charges?” Dante eyed her suspiciously.

“If you want me to then I can put it on your tab.”

“Please don’t. My tab is already high enough.”

“Then start paying your debts then”

“I will if you don’t suck my money dry.”

The two of them then laughed together for a minute or two. The laughter died down and Lady glanced to Dante, making a gesture that Dante surely would has understood. Dante gave a sad smile and nodded, giving her the signal that she could come closer. Lady scooted closer and wordlessly gave Dante a hug. She rest her head on his shoulder and Dante did the same. Dante was stiff for a moment before he returned the hug. The gesture was all he needed at that time.

Lady patted his back “We’re here for you, y’know that Dante?” Despite Lady’s rough edge, sarcastic nature and her ability to make Dante poor, Lady actually had a softer side which she only let it show to those she closed to with. She understood what’s going on with Dante, knew very well of the demon he had to fight constantly. She knew it was unfair of her to push him to open up when she herself put a barricade from others. If Dante refused to tell, then it’s okay. But that didn’t mean she would left him wallowing in pain and grief.

“I know” Dante let himself being embraced by the warm comfort. It wasn’t that much to ease the pain but he needed the hug. It’s a warm and kind gesture coming from Lady and he appreciated it so much. The hug acted as a reminder; _He is not alone. He will never be alone_. And he need to accept that and _move forward._

But the past would always caught up, one way or another.

They stay like that for a minute before Lady broke the hug, having sensed that it was enough and any longer than that would be weird and awkward. 

“Now then, I’m putting it in your tab.” Lady raised and walked back to where she had climbed the roof.

“Wait, I thought it was free?”

Lady waved a hand as she descend the building leaving Dante smiling in disbelief.

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of people argued that DMC2 Dante was OOC. But I think he wasn't OOC though. If you look back at the events happened in DMC1, Dante found out that Vergil was Nelo Angelo, and he killed him. I dont know but if I was Dante, that shit would definitely killed me inside and I dont think I could live my life as normally as I used to.
> 
> Anyway, it's hard to write Lady and Dante friendship not to be seen as romantic. But to be honest, the line between platonic and romantic are actually kinda blurred. So how you see this ship is actually based on how you perceived what makes platonic relationship, platonic. and in this fic, Lady and Dante are just a close friends.


End file.
